In February 1984, 11-year-old Jody Plauché from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was kidnapped by Jeff Doucet, a 25-year-old karate instructor whom Jody and many local children trusted. Doucet had been grooming Jody for some time, gaining the trust of both the boy and his family. One day, he took Jody without permission and drove him across the country to Anaheim, California.
While in California, Doucet kept Jody in a motel and abused him multiple times. Meanwhile, a massive search was launched back in Louisiana and across the U.S. After several days, authorities located Jody and arrested Doucet. Jody was rescued and brought safely back to Baton Rouge.
Doucet, now in custody, was to be extradited to Louisiana to face charges that would almost certainly lead to a long prison sentence.
The Airport Shooting
On March 16, 1984, Doucet was flown back to Baton Rouge. Television news crews were at the airport, ready to film his arrival. What no one knew was that Jody’s father, Gary Plauché, had also come to the airport — armed with a .38 revolver.
Gary was a well-liked local man who had been devastated by what happened to his son. Overwhelmed with anger and grief, he made a plan. He positioned himself near a bank of public telephones, pretending to talk on the phone. When Doucet was escorted through the airport by police, Gary quietly stepped away, turned, and fired a single shot at Doucet’s head.
The cameras captured everything.
Doucet collapsed instantly. He later died at the hospital.
“Why, Gary, why’d you do it?”
One of the officers on the scene — a friend of Gary’s — immediately grabbed him and wrestled the gun from his hand. Shocked, the officer asked:
“Why, Gary, why’d you do it?”
Gary answered calmly and quietly:
“If someone did it to your kid, you’d do it too.”
His words became famous and have been repeated ever since.
What Happened to Gary Plauché?
Despite committing the act on live TV, Gary became a highly sympathetic figure. Many people saw him as a grieving father pushed beyond his limit. The court considered his emotional state and the circumstances of the crime.
0 Comments